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S .5 Q 0 rd 5 on a $1 4 r M n min? H e m 000000 000000 m %m 000000 000000 m m 0 Q0@U 000900 OMVGQOWWMOOOQOQM 00 WW-W envy M (No Model.)

Patented Mar. 15,1898.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2."

H. M. HANDSHY. CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE.

No. 600,613. Patented Mar. 15,1898.

l mmmmm WITNESSES: INVENTOR WM 041% QM ATTORNEY UNITED STATES l T1e1wr OFFICE.

HENRY M. HANDSI-IY, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE VAUGHAN LUMBER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CARTRIDGE-LOADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,613, dated March 15, 1898. Application filed June 3, 1897. Seria1N0. 639,198. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. HANDSHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Shell-Loading Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of cartridge-shell-filling machines; and the objects of my invention are to provide an improved machine of this class in which are embodied simple, effective, and convenient means for charging the shells not only with the powder, but with the wads and shot; to so construct said machine as to admit of the various charging operations above mentioned being successively conducted in a rapid manner, and to provide other improvements in details of construction which will be more clearly described hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end View of the machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line :2 xof Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a central vertical section of one of the adjustable filling or charging tubes, taken on line z z of Fig. 7 and showing a portion of the hopper in connection therewith. Fig. 7 is a View in elevation of the filling-tube shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a central vertical section in detail of one of the wad-inserting plungers.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the construction of my improved machine I employ a suitable base 1, and supported from this base on suitable standards 2 and arranged side by side are two hoppers or boxes 3 and 4. A transverse guideway is formed upon the base 1 beneath each .of the hoppers 3 and 4 by the employment of vertical transverse guide-bars 5, which are flanged to form stops at their rear ends, as indicated at 6.

Through the bottom plate of each of the hoppers I form at regular intervals rows of openings 7, and although a less number of said openings are for the sake of clearness shown in the drawings I preferably employ one hundred of such openings in the bottom of each hopper. Fitting in each of said openings and depending therefrom is a downwardly-extending tube or neck 8, and each of j ect loosely through oppositely-located verti-' cal recesses or guideways 12, which are formed in the upper end portion of a tube-section 13, which is adj ustably or telescopically supported about the lower portion of the tubular neck 8, as hereinafter described.

Each of the tube-sections 13 is, as prescribed for the neck portion 8, provided with an internal partition 14, through which is formed a small central opening 15. As indicated in the drawings, there is formed in each of the tubular necks of each horizontal row, which extends from front to rear of the machine, a transverse valveway or out 16, these cuts extending through the greater portions of the tubes, as shown, and being located immediately above the partitions 9. The lower tube-sections 13 are provided with similar Ways or cuts 17 at points immediately beneath the partitions 14.

Extending outward from the front standards 2 and adjacent to the under sides of the hoppers 3 and 4 are short arms 18. In that pair of arms which project from the hopper 4 are supported, in slotted openings therein, the ends of a horizontal rod 19, while a similar rod 20 is similarly supported from the arms 18, which project from the hopper-frame 3. At the rear sides of said hoppers are similarly supported horizontal rods 21 and 22. These front and rear rods 19 and 22 and 20 and 21 are connected at intervals by parallel valve-bars 24, one of which is adapted to fit and slide within the ways 16 of the tubular necks 8 of each row. Each of these bars 24 is provided near its inner edge portion with a small vertical opening 25, corresponding in size with. the openings 10 of the neck partitions 9, said openings 25 being so arranged as to admit of their being made to register with the said openings 10 when the valve-bars are forced to the proper positions. In order to move these valve-bars backward and forward, I provide the forward rods 19 and 20 with upwardly-extending lever-arms 26 and 27, the latter being fulcrumed to the forward sides of the hoppers at 23. Below the bearing-arms 18 of each of the hoppers 3 and 4 I provide side bars 30, which are made vertically adjustable on the standards 2 by being provided with lugs 31, through which said standards pass, and by the employment of setscrews 32, which enter threaded openings in said lugs and are adapted to bear against said standards.

In the manner above described each of the hopper frames is provided with one pair of the side bars 30, the forwardly and rearwardly projecting ends of which are provided with slotted openings within which bear, respectively, the ends of rods 33 and 34. Each pair of front and rear rods 33 and 34 thus provided are connected by parallel valvebars 35, which, as prescribed for the bars 24, are provided at intervals with openings 36, said bars 35 being arranged beneath the bars 24 and being adapted to fit and slide within the ways 17 of the tube-sections 13. It is obvious that the valve-bars 35, in addition to their offices as valves, will serve to support the tube-sections 13 in connection with the tubular necks 8. Each of the forward rods 33 has connected therewith one end of an upwardly-extending lever-arm 37, which is fulcrumed from the forward side of the hopper in connection with which it is used.

On the outer side of the hopper 3 and rising from the base 1 are vertical and parallel standards 39 of apress-frame 40. The upper ends of these standards 39 are connected by a horizontal frame-arm 41, and 42 represents alower frame-arm which also connects said standards. At a still lower point the standards 39 are connected by a horizontal plate 43, through which is provided at regular intervals openings 44, corresponding in number and arrangement with the openings 7 of the hoppers. which is provided at oppositely-located openings with projecting eye-pieces 46, through which pass loosely the vertical frame-standards 39, said presser-plate being arranged, as shown, between the frame-bar 42 and plate 43. The presser -plate is provided with a central upwardly extending stem 50, which passes loosely through the central portion of the frame-arm 42. The lower portion of this stem adjacent to the presser-plate has fulcrumed to a projection thereon one end of a lever-arm 51. To the upper side of the framearm 41 or to an upward extension thereof is fulcrumed one end of a lever-arm 52, the latter being provided nearits said fulcrum-point with a short outwardly-projecting arm 53, to which is fulorumed the upper end of the lever-arm 51.

The presser-plate 40 is provided at regular intervals with downwardly-extending tubular plungers 54, the latter corresponding in the bars 5 and bars 59.

45 represents a presser-platenumber and being arranged vertically above the openings 44 of the lower plate. The lower enlarged end or head of each of these plungers 54 is, as shown in the drawings, seated upon the upper end of a coiled spring 55, which is contained within a plunger casing or cap 56 and which surrounds a central rod or bolt 57, which has its lower end rigidly connected with the lower end of the plunger-cap and which has its upper portion passing loosely through the tubular plunger 54. The upper ends of these bolts 57 are provided on the upper side of the plate 45 with suitable nuts 58. The plungers formed by the parts 54 and 56 in the manner above described are of such sizes as to pass loosely through the openings 44 of the plate 43. On the inner side of each of the standards 39 I provide a guide strip or bar 59, which correspond in form and arrangement with the bars or strips 5, which are employed in connection with the hopper-frames.

60 represents a shell-block which is of such form as to be adapted to be made to slide upon the base 1 beneath either of the hoppers 3 or 4 or beneath the plate 43, said block being adapted to slide in the ways formed between In producing this block I form therein at intervals corresponding with the arrangement of the openings 7 of the hopper vertical sockets or holes 61.

The manner of utilizing my invention is substantially as follows: The valve-bars 24 having by operation of the levers 28 and 27 been forced to such positions as to prevent a registration of the openings 25 and 10 and the valve-bars 35 having likewise been forced to a closed position, the hoppers 4and 3 are filled, respectively, with powder and shot. This being accomplished, the lever 28 of the powderhopper is so moved as to cause a registration of the valve-openings 25 and partition-Openings 10, admitting of the powder filling the chambers of the tube-sections 8 and 13 above the partitions 14. This being accomplished, the valve-bars 24 are forced to closed positions, while the valve-bars 35 are so moved as to cause a registration of the openings 36 with the openings 15, thereby admitting of the charge of powder contained in the tubular chambers passing outward through said last-mentioned openings into the shells 70, which have been previously inserted into the sockets 61 of the block 60, said block being temporarily supported beneath said powder-hopper. The shells being thus charged with the desired quantity of powder, the block containing said shells is withdrawn from beneath the powder-hopper, and after having wads inserted in the ends of the shells said block is inserted beneath the stationary plate 43 of the frame 40. The lever-arm 52 is now pressed downward and outward, resulting in a downward pressure of the stem or rod 50 and the plunger-carrying plate 45. In this manner the cushioned plungers are made to enter the mouths of the shells, and the wads are forced IIC firmly against the powder. It is obvious that in this operation the coil-springs will serve to cushion the stroke of the plunger-casing and prevent too great pressure or a sudden blow upon the powder. The above operation having been completed, the lever-arm 52 is again elevated, and the shell-block withdrawn and inserted beneath the shot-hopper 3. This being done, the levers 27 and 37 of the hopper 3 are manipulated in the manner prescribed. for the levers 28 and 27 of the hopper 4, resulting in the desired charges of shot being dropped from the tubular chambers formed by the sections 8 and 13 of the hopper 3 into the shells beneath. The shells thus being charged with shot, it is obvious that the final wadding operation may be completed in the manner heretofore described.

Owing to the fact that the powder and shot measuring and discharging tubes are each formed of two sections and that these sections are telescopically connected it is obvious that the chamber formed between the partitions 9 and 14 may have its capacity increased or decreased by lowering or raising the lower section 13. This adjustment of said sections 13 I accomplish by lowering or raising the side bars 30 and by means of the set-screws 32, fixing the latter at the desired heights on the standards 2. In this manner it is obvious that I am enabled to increase or decrease the charge of shot or powder as may be desired.

It is evident that after one set of shells have been loaded the filling operation above described may be repeated as often as is necessary.

From the construction and operation of my improved cartridge-loading device it will readily be seen that simple, reliable, and eftective means are provided for loading or charging a large number of cartridge-shells with powder, shot, and wads and that the means thus provided are such as to admit of the operation being carried on rapidly and conveniently, all of the mechanism for accomplishing the above objects being located upon the same base and adjacent to each other.

It will be observed that the construction oi my improved mechanism is such as to admit of its being produced at a reasonable cost of manufacture and of such sizeas to adapt it for use in filling or charging shells in any deand valve-bars having openings at intervals therein adapted to be moved through said horizontal recesses and adapted to have their openings register with said partition-openings, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a cartridge-shell-loading mechanism, 7

the combination with a base, separated powder. and shot hoppers supported therefrom, openings in the bottoms of said hoppers and means for discharging charges of powder and shot through said openings, of a framework 40 rising from said base, a lever-operated presser-plate vertically movable in said framework and a number of plungers depending from said presser-plate, and a block having shell-receiving sockets formed therein, said block being adapted to be supported beneath either of said hoppers or beneath said presserplate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

HENRY M. HANDSHY. In presence of H. W. ADAMS, ALEX. ALLEN. 

